Lothar von Richthofen

Lothar von Richthofen (27 September 1894-4 July 1922) was an Imperial German Air Service fighter ace during World War I who was credited with 40 victories. The younger brother of Manfred von Richthofen, he died in a flying accident in 1922 at the age of 27.

Biography
Lothar von Richthofen was born in Kleinburg, Silesia, German Empire (now Wroclaw, Poland) on 27 September 1894, the son of Albrecht von Richthofen and the brother of Manfred von Richthofen. He joined the Imperial German Army in 1914 and served as a cavalry officer in France and Poland before his brother convinced him to transfer to the Imperial German Air Service in February 1915. Lothar saw action at the Battle of Verdun in 1916 and became a fighter ace alongside his more-famous brother, with the Richthofen brothers' flying together becoming a major propaganda boost for the Germans. After Manfred was wounded in 1917, Lothar briefly took command of his squadron. On 13 May 1917, he was wounded in the hip by anti-aircraft fire after scoring his 24th victory, and he was kept out of combat for five months. In early 1918, he was hospitalized in Berlin with an ear infection, and he was heavily injured after being shot down on 13 March 1918. He was still in the hospital when he learned of his brother's death in April. He would go on to score 10 victories in August 1918, and he ended the war with a total of 40 confirmed kills. After the war, he worked as a commercial pilot, and he died in a plane crash caused by engine failure in 1922.